Planter



Dec. 27, 1966 H. A. JOHNSON, SR 3,293,798

PLANTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1965 //u 6 Joan 50w, 52

1966 H. A. JOHNSON, SR 3,

PLANTER Filed June 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet z INVEN TOR.

I //0g// 4. mam 5Q United States Patent 3,293,798 PLANTER Hugh A. Johnson, Sr., 114 3rd St., Box 125, Lakeview, Mich. 48850 Filed June 4, 1965, Ser. No. 461,322 6 Claims. (Cl. 4734.12)

This invention relates to a vertical tiered sectional planter.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a more efficient and more easily tended device of the kind indicated, which occupies a minimum of ground area, while affording maximum exposure to sunlight and rain, and at the same time, provides for the controlled circulation of air and fertilizer-bearing water, and eliminates the accumulation of undesirable dampness.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple and economically-constructed device of the character indicated above, which involves a central vertical tubular perforated standard, surrounded by concentric, upwardly-flared pan-shaped sections, the sections being secured to the standard, but having their main support from being rested upon soil or gravel beds present in underlying sections, the sections being in upwardlyspaced, but nested relationship, the bottoms of the sections being imperforate and their flaring sidewalls imperforate, except for lower areas of the sidewalls, in the interest of controlled and non-excessive flow of moisture from section-to-section.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of a device of the invention, showing the device set into the ground;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary group perspective view on an enlarged scale, showing sections in relation to the standard; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section, taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated device comprises a maximum diameter, circular fiat panshaped base having a fiat imperforate bottom wall 12, and a sidewall 14 which is imperforate, except for a band of perforations 16 which is spaced from the upper and lower edges of the sidewall 14. As shown in FIGURE 1, the base 10 is set into a conforming recess 18, formed in the ground G to a depth which puts the band of perforations 16 below the level of the ground.

A horizontal screen 20 is secured, at its periphery, in suitable manner, to the base sidewall 14, on a level spaced below the upper edge 22 of the sidewall 14, and immediately above the band of perforations 16, the screen 20 being preferably disposed at the level of the ground G.

The screen 20 is formed with a round central opening 24 through which is suitably fixed, as indicated at 26, the lower end of an upstanding, perpendicular, verticallyelongated, tubular standard 28 having a perforated sidewall 30. In the upper end of the standard 28 is suitably secured a ring 32 into which is threaded a flanged closure plug 34 which serves to keep rain and dust out of the standard. The sidewall 30 of the standard can be made of screen material. The base 10 is adapted to be filled with gravel 36, or the equivalent, to the level of the screen 20.

A circular pan-shaped bottom section 38, smaller in diameter than the base 10, surrounds the standard 28 and has a flat imperforate bottom wall 40 formed with an opening 42 accommodating the standard 28 and secured to the sidewall of the standard. An upstanding upwardlyflaring sidewall 44 on the periphery of the bottom wall 40 is imperforate, except for the lower part thereof which is formed with perforations 46. The bottom wall 40 rests upon the screen 20.

A plurality of intermediate sections'48, similar to the bottom section 38, herein shown as being three in number, are similarly secured around the standard 28 between the bottom section 38, and an upper section 50, the latter being similar in construction and arrangement as the other sections.

As shown in FIGURE 1, the sections 48 and'50 are preferably nested within each other, and rest upon and indent, as indicated at 52, the upper surfaces of beds 54 of gravel or the equivalent, present in the sections. The upper surfaces 56 of the beds 54 are on a level below the perforations 46 of the section sidewalls 44.

The substantial radial spacings of the sidewalls of the nested sections obtained by the above-described relative arrangements thereof provide for maximum access to the subtended areas of the beds 54, and plants or shoots embedded in the peripheral areas thereof, of sunlight and rain.

A lower circular pan-shapedtop section 58 is secured around the standard 28, having an imp'erforate bottom wall 60, and a right-angled sidewall 62, the latter being imperforate, except for perforations 64 around the lower part thereof. The lower top section 58 is smaller in outside diameter than the upper section 50, so that its" sidewall 62 is spaced inwardly from the intermediate'part' of the sidewall of the upper section 50. The lower part of the lower top section 58 is embedded in the gravel bed 54 of the upper section 50.

An upper circular top cross-section 64, similar to'the lower top section 58, but of substantially reduced diameter, is secured around the standard 28, and has its lower part embedded in the bed 54 present in the lower top section 58.

Because of the structional arrangements set forth above, positive or fixed seourement of the various planter sections to the standard 28 can be eliminated, so as to reduce the cost of manufacture of the device, and to provide for better tending of the gravel beds contained by the sections through being able to install the sections individually or successively on the standard 28.

In operation, moisture is supplied to the gravel beds 54, contained in the various sections, by rain falling thereon or by pouring water and/ or fertilizer-containing solutions thereon. As such moisture designedly seeps through the beds 54, the seeped moisture escapes in a controlled manner through the sidewall perforations of the sections, and falls onto the peripheral parts of the bed therebelow. Moisture thus accumulated in underlying sections and seeping theret hrough is also adapted to escape in a controlled manner into the standard 28, and to fall therethrough to the gravel bed present in the base 10. From the base 10, moisture can transfer through the sidewall perforations thereof into the surrounding ground G. At the same time that the transfers of moisture between sections take place, outside air is permitted to circulate through the various beds so as to? eliminate the undesirable building up therein of damp areas.

What is claimed is:

1. A planter comprising a pan-shaped base adapted to be inset in porous ground, said base having an imperforate bottom wall and a sidewall formed with limited perforations, a bed of porous material in the base, a screen extending across the base above said bed, said screen being formed with a central opening, an upstanding tubular standard having an open lower end secured in said opening, means closing the upper end of the standard, the sidewall of the standard being perforated, a pan-shaped bottom section surrounding the standard and having a bottom wall resting upon said screen, and an upwardlyfiaring sidewall, the bottomsection sidewall being formed with limited perforations, a plurality of at least two intermediate sections similar to and positioned above the bottom section, the bottom section containing a bed of porous material in which the lower part of the lower intermediate section is embedded, the flared sidewalls of the bottom section and the intermediate sections being radially-spaced from each other, a bed of porous material in each intermediate section, the spacing of the sidewalls of the bottom and intermediate sections exposing peripheral areas of the beds in which plants are adapted to be planted and the perforations in said standard open to each of said beds.

2. A planter according to claim 1, wherein the sidewall perforations of the sections open to the related beds.

3. A planter according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of intermediate sections include an upper sectiont similar to and disposed above the uppermost of the inter" mediate sections and having its lower part embedded in the porous bed of the uppermost intermediate section.

4. A planter according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of intermediate sections include an upper section similar to and disposed above the uppermost of the inter-' mediate sections and having its lower part embedded in the porous bed of the uppermost intermediate section, a' lower top section engaged around the standard above the upper section and containing a bed of porous material, the lower part of the lower top section being embedded in the bed contained in the upper section, the lower top? section having a right-angled sidewall spaced inwardly from the sidewall of the upper section, the sidewall of the lower top section being formed with limited perforations opening to the bed of the upper section.

5. A planter according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of intermediate sections include an upper section similar to and disposed above the uppermost of the intermediate sections and having its lower part embedded in the porous bed of the uppermost intermediate section, a lower top section engaged around the standard above the upper section and containing a bed of porous material, the lower part of the lower top section being embedded! in the bed contained in the upper section, the lower top' section having a right-angled sidewall spaced inwardly from the sidewall of the upper section, the sidewall of the lower top section being formed with limited perforations opening to the bed of the upper section, an upper top section similar to the lower top section and engaged around the standard, said upper top section being smaller in diameter than the lower top section and having its lower part embedded in the bed of the lower top section, the upper top section having a sidewall formed with limited perforations opening to the bed contained in the lower top section.

6. A planter according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of intermediate sections include an upper section similar to and disposed above the uppermost of the intermediate sections and having its lower part embedded in the porous bed of the uppermost intermediate section, a lower top section engaged around the standard above the upper section and containing a bed of porous material; the lower part of the lower top section being embedded in the bed contained in the upper section, the lower top section having a right-angled sidewall spaced inwardly from the sidewall of the upper section, the sidewall of the lower top section being formed with limited perforations opening to the bed of the upper section, an upper top section similar to the lower top section and engaged around the standard, said upper top section being smaller in diameter than the lower top section and having its lower part embedded in the bed of the lower top section, the upper top section having a sidewall formed with limited perforations opening to the bed contained in the lower top section, the perforations of the sidewalls of the sec& tions being limited to the lower parts of their sidewalls and being below the levels of the beds in the sections.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 440,141 11/1890 Dearborn 4733 3,063,196 11/1962 Paver 47-3412 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,082 1901 Geat Britain.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Primary Examiner.

P. A. RAZZANO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PLANTER COMPRISING A PAN-SHAPED BASE ADAPTED TO BE INSET IN POROUS GROUND SAID BASE HAVING AN IMPERFORATE BOTTOM WALL AND SIDEWALL FORMED WITH LIMITED PERFORATIONS, A BED OF POROUS MATERIAL IN THE BASE, A SCREEN EXTENDING ACROSS THE BASE ABOVE SAID BED, SAID SCREEN BEING FORMED WITH A CENTRAL OPENING AN UPSTANDING TUBULAR STANDARD HAVING AN OPEN LOWER END SECURED IN SAID OPENING, MEANS CLOSING THE UPPERT END OF THE STANDARD, THE SIDEWALL OF THE STANDARD BEING PERFORATED, A PAN-SHAPED BOTTOM SECTION SURROUNDING THE STANDARD AND HAVING A BOTTOM WALL RESTING UPON SAID SCREEN, AND AN UPWARDLYFLARING SIDEWALL, THE BOTTOM SECTION SIDEWALL BEING FORMED WITH LIMITED PERFORATIONS, A PLURALITY OF AT LEAST TWO INTERMEDIATE SECTIONS SIMILAR TO AND POSITIONED ABOVE THE BOTTOM SECTION, THE BOTTOM SECTION CONTAINING A BED OF POROUS MATERIAL IN WHICH THE LOWER PART OF THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE SECTION IS EMBEDDED, THE FLARED SIDEWALLS OF THE BOTTOM SECTION AND THE INTERMEDIATE SECTIONS BEING RADIALLY-SPACED FROM EACH OTHER, A BED OF POROUS MATERAIL IN EACH INTERMEDIATE SECTION, THE SPACING OF THE SIDEWALLS OF THE BOTTOM AND INTERMEDIATE SECTIONS EXPOSING PERIPHERAL AREAS OF THE BEDS IN WHICH PLANTS ARE ADAPTED TO BE PLANTED AND THE PERFORATIONS IN SAID STANDARD OPEN TO EACH OF SAID BEDS. 